Swallowtails have arrived ....

 

Snow, snow, and snow...what is a girl to do?

Ah yes, zipper pulls using Yarnplayer's HDT fiber and free pattern by Grace Tan.  Yummy fiber - yummy color!

Yarnplayer's HDT fiber and free pattern from

Imported Designs of Tatting Book #77

#8163

The Spool Cotton Co. c.1936

My onion rings are kinda wobbly.  more practice needed.   

Tatting WIP - using Yarnplayer's HDT - which I find looks pretty good when I have to untat & retat - open closed rings to fix an error -- and the colors!!!!  beautiful colors.

The design is from Imported Designs of Tatting Book #77 

#8138

The Spool Cotton Co    c.1936

I enjoy getting the Tatting Bella On Line newsletter via e-mail.   Georgia Seitz, Editor, shares fabulous articles.    Recently, she began sharing diagrams + patterns of tatting motifs, edges, from this 1936 publication.   While the black-n-white photos from the book are good - I find it so much easier to have a pattern to follow and diagram.    Link to the newsletter archives - HERE.

This is TIAS - day 11 (day 12 available today):

Thank you Jane for the funness!!!  Such an interesting motif.     Looked forward to all the pattern days and learned how to add buttons into my tatting.

Snow.

Snow.

Snow.

 

Snow.

I think we have 2 pair of cardinals.   The females are around - tho stay hidden!

Autumn Splendor in GF's Garden

Tulip Tree blooming ....

No need to check the calendar this morning - our tulip tree is blooming,
it must be the first of June!

First Day of Summer

Stray cat outside?

Aren't these beautiful?
Flowers from DH - thought I'd share a pic

I glanced over my shoulder & thought there was a stray cat
sniffing the bird seed --- then, the growl from Beatrice:

and I knew it was no cat!!!
An opossum ... yep,
visited about 5 minutes and strolled off.

"Poppy Tag"

EDITED TO ADD:
Pat is hosting Poppy Tag. See Pat's post for details!




Photos by DH of the flowers in our garden

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So, what is everybody reading this Summer? Right now, I've been reading a couple books & as always, have audiobooks from the public library

My stack:
Sparkle Hayter - 2nd book in the Robin Hudson series
Elizabeth Berg - The Art of Mending
Maggie Sefton - Dropped Dead Stitch (Knitting Mystery Series)
Elizabeth Berg - Home Safe

flowers in the yard

Earth Day 2009

This picture is from my sister. Aren't these flowers beautiful?

Our guest

Photos by Alex

Cardinal Pair

Male
Female

I am sick and tired of snow & wind. Really, I am. Enough already!!!!!

cicada

Tori's Tree

After wondering about our flowering trees, I am pleased they are budding and blooming. Even some of the tulips decided to show their colours!

This is Tori's Tree. It is half red & half white - I think some sort of hybrid crab tree. It was planted years ago. In the yard, it looks quite the mystery!

Cannot be on-line long. Waiting for call-backs re. Summer Jobs. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Morning ...

with snow on the trees, slush on the ground, and currently--freezing rain.

sigh

Another batch of flowers from the gardens

Delightful blooms!

The temperature had dropped to 31 degrees with 45 mph winds ... leaving the wind chill readings at 12 degrees. Brrr .... it is really nippy outdoors. Lots of the spring flowers are taking a wind beating.

We may even see some snow flurries AGAIN. What is with that????

Flowers from the gardens

It is quite windy this a.m. When I looked out, I noticed several flowers laying on the ground. I clipped them & brought them inside. There is nothing like bringing in fresh flowers!

Flowers in the yard

Pictures taken by DH

Ice Storm & DVD/Movie week-end

Alex was entertained by this squirrel -- raiding the bird seed!!

Tori arrived Friday afternoon. We picked up Thai food [carry-out] b/c Tori wanted to see the final episode of Grey's Anatomy. Followed by The Departed DVD.

On Saturday, Nicholas made his famous Quiche - DH cooked out on the grill. Alex picked out l'enfant as he is totally into foreign films. We viewed this DVD on Saturday during the ice storm. Lots of ice ... not much damage, just a few large branches fell.

Sunday, I made an early meal [chicken, stuffing, veggies, fruit] Tori got her ride back to IU.

DH, DS-Alex, and I drove into Lake County to see Volver. It was the 5pm show. We were back in time to watch THE awards show.

Lately, I've seen several movies, so, I"m movied out. Alex wants to get his hands on Pan's Labyrinth. I want him to focus on studying for his final exams this week : )